From our Bureau of Troublesome Priests
Cuban priest Alberto Reyes, a strong critic of the Cuban dictatorship, has posted a new year’s message on Facebook in which he says many things that could get him arrested, such as denouncing the government for not being interested in the suffering of the Cuban people and warning that it is a certainty that it will NOT do anything to alleviate that suffering. As if this weren’t daring enough, he also compares Castro, Inc. to slavers who don’t want to free their slaves.
It is highly unusual for Castro, Inc. to tolerate any such criticism. Up until now it has not tried to do away with this troublesome priest, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t try to do so. If you are a praying person, pray for Father Reyes. Click on the link above to read his entire message in Spanish. Below is an excerpt.
I’ve been thinking about bets for the new year
No matter how difficult the personal and social situation may be, it is common to have at least a glimmer of hope for ‘something better’ every time a year begins. 2023 has been hard, with a continuous crescendo not only in the difficulty of acquiring what is necessary to live but in the number of emigrants and the desperation to emigrate and in the apathy of the government, which increasingly ignores the day-to-day life of this people while mobilizing their energies towards control and repression.
We have no obvious reason to think that in 2024 the governing bodies of this country will do anything to alleviate the agonizing situation of the people, and even less will they do anything that will lead to a change in the general situation of the island that will solve the social stagnation that we suffer.
Unfortunately, our rulers are either blind, and do not see the reality that surrounds them; or they are clumsy, and see, but do not understand; or they have allowed evil to enter into them, with which, they see, they understand, they are aware of the suffering of this people, but they do not care, and they have chosen to eternalize it, literally assuming the scheme of slavers and slaves.
We are alone, that is our reality. We have ourselves and God, who we cannot look at as the magic button that can change things. God works as a team: he encourages, strengthens, illuminates, gives hope, but he does not replace our part. Also, let’s not forget that it was us who got into this, it was us who turned our backs and sold ourselves to the idols, but there is no point in regretting now. We only have to ask for forgiveness, turn our faces to God and learn, so that this does not happen again.
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